Category: #africa

The eight voting stations in uMkhambathini Municipality in the uMgungundlovu District, in the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Midlands, have remained closed. The affected wards are 1, 2, 3 and 5.

At the centre of the closure are threats allegedly by a group of KwaNyavu community members who are demanding the reinstatement of Chief Sikhosiphi Mdluli.

Currently, police are deployed at various voting stations which have remained closed.

IEC Staff members conducting home visits for special votes have had to be escorted by police officers at KwaNyamvu.

 

 

LGE 2021 | Voting stations did not open due to threats from the community in uMkhambathini Municipality

 

 

 

 

 

The voting stations could not open on Saturday due to threats received from some community members.

Voting stations in Wards 1, 2, 3 and 5 in the Mkhambathini Municipality were locked with padlocks.

“We are now deploying IEC staff from other wards. Those who managed to complete their special votes yesterday(Saturday). So at least it’s people from outside the area. They will be accompanied by SAPS. We are expecting quite a favourable number of SAPS from 2 districts eThekwini and uMgungundlovu cluster,” says Khulekani Mdadane, IEC Regional Manager.

#sabcnews #sabcnewskzn Inhlanhlayabebhezu high school in KwaNyavu number 3 of ward 2 in uMkhambathini Municipality is amongst eight voting stations locked allegedly by community demanding reinstatement of local iNkosi. pic.twitter.com/zfXhmoraH8

— Mlondi Radebe (@mlondiee) October 30, 2021

 

#sabcnews #sabckzn Inhlanhlayabebhezu high in KwaNyavu number 3 of ward 2 in uMkhambathini munic is among 8 voting stations allegedly locked by community. pic.twitter.com/s9ajRO7IK8

— Nonkululeko Hlophe (@Leko3) October 30, 2021

More than 18 000-thosand law enforcement officers will be deployed in KwaZulu-NatalKZN

More than 18 000-thosand law enforcement officers will be deployed in KZN  during the Local Government Elections. This as protests flared up at Mistake Farm in uMzinto on Saturday. Two people and nine police officers were allegedly injured during an altercation between police and community members. The community was protesting against their councillor candidates. Police Minister Bheki Cele, who addressed the officers on Sunday in Durban, says he will be visiting a number of hotspots in this province.

LGE 2021 I Police Minister addresses media on police deployment to voting stations

The post Eight voting stations in uMkhambathini remain closed following threats by community members appeared first on SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader..

Read more here:: Latest South Africa News

Home Affairs Department says there are still thousands of ID smart cards that are still to be collected from their offices.

South Africans are voting in the Local Government Elections on Monday.

Over 23 000 polling stations are expected to open at 7 am and will operate until 9 pm.

Department’s Director-General, Tommy Makhode says their offices will be open on Monday, 1 November,  from 7 am until 9 pm for people to collect their smart cards, or apply for temporary identity documents(IDs) in order to go vote.

” Just before the voter weekend registration, for the 18th and 19th of October, they were sitting at around 400 000 and during that particular registration weekend, there were around 30 000 that were collected. Since then, we have been opening our offices operating extended hours and this weekend we have another 30 000 IDs collected, so we’re sitting at around 330 000 that’s not collected,” says Makhode.

LGE 2021 | Home Affairs extends operating hours over election period

 

 

 

 

The post Home Affairs offices open between 7am and 9pm on election day appeared first on SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader..

Read more here:: Latest South Africa News

The Electoral Commission (IEC) says it has put measures in place to ensure the adherence to COVID-19 protocols during the local government elections on Monday.

South Africans are heading to the polls to cast their votes for the municipal elections.

The two-day special voting process closed at 5pm  Sunday with over 80% of special votes being cast throughout the country.

IEC Chairperson, Glen Mashinini says it is the priority of the Commission to conduct safe elections in the context of the pandemic.

“Electoral staff will be provided with the necessary personal protective equipment to minimise the risk of spreading of the virus. The following acceptable methods to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will be enforced. Among them is maintaining social distancing by observing distance of at least a meter & a half away from each other or the next person and sanitising frequently,” says Mashinini.

Mashinini says though the IEC will provide pens, they encourage voters to bring their own.

“The pens will be provided and disinfected after each use. However, voters are encouraged; should they wish to do so, they should bring their own pens,”

 

 

The post Measures in place to ensure the adherence to COVID-19 protocols on election day: IEC appeared first on SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader..

Read more here:: Latest South Africa News

Some rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal say they have lost the passion to vote as voting has not brought any change to their socio-economic situation. Rural villagers from Nkakazi in Nhlazatshe outside Ulundi say they have been sharing river water with livestock for many years.

As South Africans will on Monday go out in their numbers to elect the councillor of their choice, some rural villagers are reluctant to go and vote. They say previous councillors have failed to deliver services in their rural village.

Rural villagers from Nkakhazi in Nhlazatshe, outside Ulundi, share muddy water from the dam with livestock. They say they have been neglected for many years despite voting in every election.

“We drink water from the dam, sharing water with livestock. People here get sick from waterborne diseases; people are always rushed to hospital as a result. We are no longer keen to vote,” says one of the residents.

Special voting continues in KwaZulu-Natal:

There is a similar outcry from some communities in the rural eNqulwane village also outside Ulundi.

As the electoral commission crisscrossed the country effecting special votes, some sick and elderly people who voted in their own homes say they have been voting since 1994, but are yet to get service delivery.

One of them is Zwakele Lamula. She stays alone in a dilapidated house and manages to put food on the table through handouts from her neighbours.

She says they decided with some people in the village to illegally connect electricity after many years of being neglected. She says she has been denied a chance to participate in the Public Works, Zibambele projects, to clean the road.

“I have been voting in all elections, but nothing has changed. There is no help I get out of voting. I live in abject poverty, I don’t get a grant as I don’t have a small child, even the house is dilapidated, when it rains I sleep at the neighbours. I live through handouts from my neighbours.”

As South Africans cast their votes on Monday, people like Lamula and others from Nkakhazi say they have lost hope that they will ever get services.

Water, electricity, access to roads and employment opportunities remain their top needs. -Reporting by Vusi Makhosini and Salma Patel

The post KZN villagers outside Ulundi ‘not optimistic’ their votes will bring change appeared first on SABC News – Breaking news, special reports, world, business, sport coverage of all South African current events. Africa’s news leader..

Read more here:: Latest South Africa News